Indonesia coordinates with various nations to rescue MT Honour 25 crew
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Foreign Minister, Arrmanatha Nasir, stated that Indonesia is maintaining intensive coordination with various countries in an effort to free the crew members of the MT Honour 25, who were held hostage by pirates in Somali waters.
“Coordination is being conducted not only with the Somali government and the ship owners, but also with the governments whose citizens are part of the ship’s crew,” said the Indonesian Foreign Minister following the handover of Indonesian crew members to their families at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Cengkareng, Banten, on Tuesday.
As such, alongside the Somali government, Indonesia is maintaining communication with India, Pakistan, and Myanmar, whose citizens are also crew members on the hijacked vessel.
It is known that the ship is also manned by 10 crew members from Pakistan, as well as one crew member each from India and Myanmar, in addition to four Indonesian crew members.
According to him, the return of the Indonesian crew members of the MT Honour 25 to the homeland marks the conclusion of various diplomatic efforts undertaken by Indonesia to rescue them from the grip of Somali pirates.
He expressed his appreciation for the steps taken by Sugiono, during his tenure as Indonesian Foreign Minister when the hijacking occurred, who directly led the diplomatic efforts and provided very high attention to the mission of freeing the MT Honour 25 crew.
“From the beginning, we have continued to communicate with various parties, including the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation, the crew members’ families, and the ship owners,” he said.
The Foreign Minister extended special appreciation to Captain Ashari Samadikun, who demonstrated great responsibility in leading his crew until they were successfully rescued in an operation by Somali authorities.
Arrmanatha also expressed his gratitude to the families for their support of the Indonesian government’s efforts to free the crew, as well as for their steadfast patience while awaiting the return of their family members from the MT Honour 25.
He then expressed his gratitude that the four Indonesian citizens successfully survived the hijacking and have now reunited with their respective families in the homeland.
The four Indonesian crew members of the MT Honour 25 arriving in Indonesia today are Captain Ashari Samadikun (34) from Gowa, South Sulawesi; Wahudinanto (48) from Pemalang, Central Java; Adi Faizal (27) from Bulukumba, South Sulawesi; and Fiki Mutakin (25) from Bogor, West Java.
The MT Honour 25 was reported hijacked in the waters of Hafun, Somalia, on 22 April 2026. The rescue operation for the hostages on the ship took place on 29 September 2026.